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Don’t Tell on Me, Or Else!

EMCS(SW) Michael Taylor

Senior Enlisted Academy

Class 226 Gold

Don’t Tell on Me, Or Else!

As Lord Acton stated in a letter to Archbishop Creighton, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Dalberg, 1887). A person does not need to look very far in current military events to find this assertion to be true. As Senior Leaders, exercising proper and ethical use of authority is imperative so that the erosion of confidence of the junior enlisted in their senior leadership does not occur. This essay will discuss the background of an abuse of power case study as well as its impact on the command.

Background

According to the U.S. Department of Defense Standards of Conduct Office (2016), the Navy punished an Admiral when it learned he illegally demoted three subordinates in retaliation because he believed they reported him for a minor travel infraction. His actions also led to a hold up in a Presidential appointee’s confirmation as the Senate withheld the confirmation until the Navy agreed to withhold any promotion of the Admiral guilty of the unethical behavior. While the Admiral tried to claim the three subordinates in question were all substandard performers, the Department of Defense Inspector General did not believe this claim and maintained the Admiral acted in an unethical and illegal manner. This decision, combined with the ruling that he was no longer considered for promotion, drove the Admiral to retire. Understanding the background of the ethical failure allows for the examination of the impact this decision had on the command and its Sailors.

Impact

Leaders jeopardize the faith of their subordinates when they demonstrate a hypocritical behavior by holding themselves to a lower standard than what they hold their subordinates to. Additionally, when Sailors see their leaders behaving in a manner for which they, themselves, are punished, it causes them to lose respect for not only the person leading them but the position of leadership as well. When abuse of authority occurs, morale decreases even for those to which the abuse of authority did not occur. This concept of morale decreasing in the observer is referred to as “second hand bullying” (Walton, 2013). In light of this concept, it is reasonably assumed that the morale throughout the command where this abuse of power occurred lowered, even though the abuse only occurred to three people. This clearly shows how the actions of a leader will impact many even if they are only directed at one or two people. Additionally, studies found that leaders, such as the Admiral, can have an adverse impact on the health of their subordinates (Pappas, 2012). This study revealed abusive bosses create an environment for their employees that force them to cope in ways that typically result in unhealthy lifestyles. These lifestyles then yield such results as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, as well as a number of other physical and mental disorders. Clearly, the manner in which a leader chooses to exercise the power granted to them impacts their subordinates far beyond the four walls of the offices in which they work.

This essay discussed the background of an abuse of power case study as well as its impact on the command. As Senior Leaders, exercising proper and ethical use of authority is imperative so that the erosion of confidence of the junior enlisted in their senior leadership does not occur. Sailors cited one of the major reasons for leaving the Navy before retirement was due to their mistrust of their senior leadership (Snodgrass & Kohlmann, 2014). If the ongoing war on attrition is to be won, it truly starts with the current leaders within the military.

References Dalberg, J. E. (1887, April 5). History. Retrieved from Hanover College: https://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/165acton.html Office, U. D. (2016, September). Retrieved from https://navalwarcollege.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-751063-dt-content-rid-1610517_1/courses/S.SEA.READINGS-MEDIA/2%20-%20Major%20Assignments%20tab/1b%20-%20Encyclopedia%20of%20Ethical%20Failure.pdf Pappas, S. (2012, January 12). Money. Retrieved from Today.com: http://www.today.com/money/your-bullying-boss-may-be-slowly-killing-you-2D80555566 Snodgrass, G., & Kohlmann, B. (2014, September 1). Navy Retention Report. Retrieved from Military.com: http://www.military.com/PDF/2014-Navy-Retention-Study-Report-Full.pdf Walton, A. G. (2013, February 7). Pharma & Healthcare. Retrieved from Forbes.com: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/02/07/the-dark-side-of-leadership-the-impact-of-a-bad-boss-can-go-viral-though-the-office/#63c9ea3fa638